Do You Know Your Salad Greens? A Information to Lettuces, Chicories, and different Leafy Greens

Although it typically will get a foul rap for being a boring or bland dish, a nicely made salad is a factor of magnificence—refreshingly crisp and scrumptious, particularly when thoughtfully ready with an assortment of lettuces and different greens (and purples and reds, for that matter). On the planet of lettuce, there are true lettuces, akin to iceberg and romaine, after which there are all of the issues that get lumped underneath the class of salad greens. In that broader class, there are chicories akin to endive and radicchio, which convey crunch and a pleasing bitterness, and leafy greens akin to watercress and arugula, which offer a kick of peppery taste. As scrumptious as lettuce is, there’s a lot extra to salad than iceberg and romaine, and realizing which to make use of when—in addition to greatest put together them—will make it easier to take advantage of your greens.

In an effort to demystify lettuce and different salad greens, I spoke with Emilie Symons, a chef-instructor who helped develop the plant-based culinary arts program on the Institute for Culinary Training in New York, and Jenn Frymark, the chief inexperienced home officer for Gotham Greens, a Brooklyn-based firm that sells greenhouse-grown salad greens.

What Is True Lettuce?

Although “lettuce” is usually used as a catch-all time period for salad greens, true lettuces come from the Lactuca sativa species, that are a member of the Asteraceae household—also called the daisy household (which incorporates the flower of the identical identify). Egyptians have been reportedly the primary to domesticate the vegetable within the late 2600s. Lettuce then made its approach to Greece and Italy, the place, in keeping with chef Deborah Madison’s cookbook Vegetable Literacy, it was believed to have soporific properties in each nations, earlier than arriving in what’s now the Americas with Christopher Columbus within the 1490s.

In her ebook, Madison notes that immediately, grocery shops carry “pitifully few” lettuce varieties, a lot of that are “flat and boring.” Although many  individuals consider true lettuces as flavorless they will vary from mildly candy to subtly bitter and grassy, and recent lettuces are wealthy in water and have an exquisite crisp texture. Whereas within the U.S. individuals mostly use lettuces uncooked in salads and sandwiches, sturdier lettuces will also be grilled. .Braising is a standard preparation for lettuces in France, and in China, the greens are boiled and seasoned with oyster sauce.

Forms of Lettuce

Iceberg

Look: Massive, spherical heads with thick, tightly packed pale inexperienced leaves 
Texture: Crisp, crunchy 
Taste: Contemporary with a gentle sweetness
Different Names: Crisphead

With greater than 1.6 million tons of iceberg lettuce grown and harvested every year, the range is without doubt one of the most generally grown salad greens in the USA. Iceberg lettuce is in almost each main grocery store throughout the nation, probably as a result of its thick, sturdy leaves make it simple to move lengthy distances with out important bruising. Iceberg has excessive water content material and is refreshingly crisp. The versatile inexperienced will be eaten uncooked, and its strong construction helps it stand up to creamy dressings, which is one purpose it is so common in sandwiches, burgers, and burritos, in addition to Halal cart–fashion road meals. Iceberg lettuce can simply be halved or quartered and stay intact, making it the go-to inexperienced for wedge salads.

Romaine

Look: Elongated giant heads with wavy, darkish inexperienced outer leaves and lightweight inexperienced inside leaves
Texture: Crunchy, agency 
Taste: Cool, gentle, with the tiniest trace of earthiness 
Different Names: Cos

Romaine lettuce is a top-selling selection within the U.S. (In response to the United States Division of Agriculture, gross sales of the inexperienced totaled $1.54 billion in 2023.) Like iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce is crunchy and agency, with a excessive water content material. The range is earthy and barely bitter. Whereas romaine is usually served uncooked, its hearts—the lettuce’s tightly packed inside leaves—are sturdy sufficient for a fast kiss on the grill, which imparts a candy, smoky taste. Romaine’s hardiness means it may be tossed with thick, creamy dressings with out simply wilting or breaking, making it a well-liked selection for Caesar and cobb salads.

Butterhead

Look: Loosely fashioned medium-size, spherical heads with vibrant inexperienced, cup-shaped leaves 
Texture: Velvety, buttery, and comfortable 
Taste: Delicate, candy, and nutty 
Different Names: Butter, bibb, Boston, Boston bibb

Butterhead lettuce will get its identify from the comfortable, velvety texture of its leaves. “It is so delicate, I truly do not even use utensils after I toss butterhead or Boston,” Symons says. “I simply use my fingers for a extra delicate contact.” Whereas the names Butterhead, bibb, and Boston are sometimes used interchangeably, bibb and Boston are literally subsets of butterhead—the previous is bigger and the latter is extra petite. Butterhead leaves are perfect for delicate salads and wrapping numerous fillings, akin to spiced floor meat or bean salads Initially native to the Mediterranean basin, butter lettuce is common in French delicacies, the place it’s usually dressed with mild vinaigrettes for a easy salad or used as the bottom of traditional salade Niçoise. You’ll additionally discover it as a wrapper for Korean ssam, and in Vietnamese delicacies, butterhead is usually used to wrap fried spring rolls and grilled meats and fish.

Little Gem

Look: Small, compact, elongated heads, crisp-tender and pale inexperienced leaves on the skin and greenish yellow leaves on the within 
Texture: Crunchy and crisp however comfortable 
Taste: Candy and earthy 
Different Names: Child romaine, child gem

Little gem will not be its personal selection in any respect, however reasonably an early harvested romaine, which is why it’s also called child romaine. Lettuce accommodates lactucin and lactucopicrin, naturally-occurring compounds that give the inexperienced an more and more bitter taste because it matures; as a result of little gem is harvested earlier than these compounds have had an opportunity to totally develop, it  isn’t as bitter as mature romaine. Quite, it’s sweeter and extra gentle, with leaves which might be crunchy but tender. A zesty French dressing will help spotlight the lettuce’s delicate taste, however the inexperienced additionally goes nicely with daring, savory substances akin to  anchovies, olives, and capers.

Unfastened Leaf

“Unfastened leaf lettuce” is extra of a catch-all time period than a selected selection, and refers to lettuces with leaves that develop right into a unfastened rosette reasonably than a good head. This makes it more easy for farmers to choose particular person leaves: Quite than harvest the entire head, they acquire the mature outer leaves by trimming them off, which leaves the youthful, smaller inside leaves and base intact so the plant can proceed rising. There are three varieties you’re almost certainly to come across within the U.S.

Inexperienced Leaf
Look: Frilly inexperienced, medium-size leaves 
Texture: Frivolously crunchy
Taste: Delicate, clear, and recent 

Inexperienced leaf is crunchier and a bit extra tough and tumble than butter lettuce, however doesn’t have fairly the identical textural chunk as romaine or iceberg. Its crisp, tender leaves are nonetheless nice for salads and wraps and as an addition to sandwiches and burgers.

Pink Leaf 
Look: Just like inexperienced leaf in dimension and frilliness, with deep burgundy ideas
Texture: Mild with a slight crunch
Taste: Contemporary with only a trace of bitterness

Pink leaf lettuce is similar to inexperienced leaf, simply barely extra bitter because of anthocyanins—pigments that give vegetation vivid blue, purple, and purple hues (it is the identical pigment present in eggplant and berries). Like its cousin, inexperienced leaf lettuce, purple leaf lettuce is nice in salads, as a mattress for sturdy proteins akin to rooster breasts or salmon filets, and as a garnish. We advocate reaching for purple leaf lettuce anyplace you’d use inexperienced leaf, together with when consuming bánh xèo (crispy Vietnamese rice pancakes) or serving Armenian eetch, a hearty  vegan salad of bulgur, tomatoes, and herbs.

Oakleaf
Look: Leafy inexperienced or purple lobed leaves formed like these on an oak tree
Texture: Tender, typically barely buttery
Taste: Nutty with a mellow bitterness 

Oakleaf will be simply recognized by its distinctive form, which resembles an oak leaf: elongated with wavy edges. Oakleaf lettuce is comfortable and delicate, has a mildly nutty taste, and is nice for pairing with different greens and chicories. 

What Is a Chicory?

Chicories are leafy, bitter greens which might be usually lumped along with  lettuces. Although chicories are additionally within the daisy household, they belong to the chicorium genus—not lettuce’s lactuca sativa. Chicories are perennial vegetation that come into season within the late fall, making them a staple in winter salads, soups, and braises. Some chicories, akin to radicchio and endive, have thicker leaves, whereas others, like castelfranco, are extra delicate. The roots of frequent chicory (cichorium intybus) are roasted and floor, then mixed with espresso to make New Orleans’ signature chicory espresso.

Forms of Chicories

Frisée

Look: A loosely-packed head of inexperienced curly leaves
Texture: Feathery with a light-weight crunch
Taste: Bitter and peppery 
Different Names: Curly endive

Frisée is understood for its bitter style and fluffy texture. Within the U.S., the inexperienced is frequent in salad mixes, the place its biting taste will be balanced out by different gentle greens. Frisée is the star of French salade Lyonnaise, the place its bitterness cuts by means of the richness of the bacon and poached egg. 

Radicchio

Look: Thick, hearty crimson leaves in a tightly packed spherical or elongated medium-size head
Texture: Crisp and strong, just like cabbage
Taste: Bittersweet 
Different Names: Chioggia, purple chicory, Italian purple chicory 

Few “greens” are as spectacular on a plate as radicchio, because of its majestic burgundy leaves. This member of the chicory household is in season from October to January, and is a shiny spot at winter farmers markets. The sweetness of fruit akin to apples, pears, or winter citrus helps lower by means of the bitterness of uncooked radicchio, particularly when balanced with salty cheeses akin to  gorgonzola or ricotta salata. Radicchio’s sturdy leaves are nice for roasting and grilling, which brings out the vegetable’s pure sweetness. In Italy, radicchio can also be included into pastas and risottos.

Escarole

Look: Medium inexperienced, wavy-edged leaves in a unfastened, leafy, medium-size bunch
Texture: Crisp leaves; outer leaves are tender however crunchy, with tender inside leaves 
Taste: Bitter with a delicate earthiness 
Different Names: Batavian endive, broad-leaf endive

Escarole (or ‘scarole, in the event you’re from New Jersey like me), is a winter staple frequent in French and Italian delicacies. Its sturdy leaves make it perfect for braising and simmering, akin to  in Italian marriage ceremony soup. When cooked, escarole’s bitterness mellows out considerably. When eaten uncooked, escarole is gorgeous  paired with recent or dried fruit to stability the vegetable’s bitterness. The inexperienced can also be generally braised with white beans to make “‘scarole and beans,” an Italian traditional. 

Endive

Look: Mild yellow-green, thick, boat formed leaves in an elongated, tightly packed, medium-size head 
Texture: Thick, dense leaves which might be crisp and crunchy 
Taste: Bitterness in outer leaves that mellows out in inside leaves or when cooked 
Different names: Belgian endive 

Like different members of the chicory household, endive is a bitter winter vegetable. In the USA, dense, crisp Belgian endive is usually the range you’ll discover at grocery shops and farmers markets. Its concave leaves make it perfect for scooping up dips and spreads, and the vegetable is particularly scrumptious when paired with substances that stability the vegetable’s bitterness, akin to candy, tart fruits and creamy cheeses. Serving endive with deeply savory substances akin to  anchovies or salt cod can amplify the vegetable’s sweetness, and like radicchio, endive mellows out considerably when cooked. In France and Belgian, it’s usually utilized in creamy gratins or braised.

Different Leafy Greens

Although the next greens aren’t lettuces, they’re usually used as salad greens and, when mixed, can present loads of texture and taste. As Critical Eats editorial director Daniel touched on in his Roman-inspired mixed-green salad recipe, selecting a mix of no matter greens are in season means your salad will all the time be the freshest and most flavorful. So as an alternative of reaching for the bagged stuff, contemplate making your individual customized mix with a number of the greens under.

Mesclun Combine

Look: A mixture of child greens sometimes lower than 5 inches in size, with a mix of rounded, wavy, and frizzy leaves that modify in coloration, with some greens, deep reds, and purples.
Texture: Sometimes comfortable and delicate 
Taste: Is dependent upon the combo of greens, however normally candy and gentle with pops of spice or bitterness.
Different names: Spring combine, salad combine 

Within the Provençal dialect, “mesclun” means “combination,” and the time period “mesclun combine” actually interprets to “combination combine.” Within the Eighties, the chef Alice Waters popularized mesclun—grown by Andrea Crawford, the proprietor of Kenter Canyon Farms in Fillmore, California—at her well-known farm-to-table restaurant in Berkeley, Chez Panisse. (In 2007, the Los Angeles Instances known as Crawford the “mesclun magician.”) Since then, mesclun has turn into a well-liked prepackaged salad. Mesclun, which additionally goes by spring combine, sometimes accommodates child greens akin to  spinach or kale, alongside arugula, romaine, radicchio, and frisée. The precise mixture, nevertheless, will differ relying on the model or producer. Mesclun’s comfort makes it perfect for quick salads, and its versatility means it goes nicely with quite a lot of mix-ins and dressings.

Tatsoi

Look: Deep inexperienced with rounded leaves and a pronounced, thick stem
Texture: A barely extra delicate bok choy
Taste: Mustardy when uncooked, candy and earthy when cooked 
Different names: Spinach mustard, spoon mustard, rosette bok choy

Tatsoi is native to China and comes from the identical household as bok choy, however has barely thinner stems. Symon says it’s scrumptious each uncooked or cooked: “You may slice it in half and roast it or grill it, however you may as well chop it actually finely and make a slaw with it.” That stated, child tatsoi—which is harvested earlier than it’s absolutely mature—is usually the go-to for salads, as its leaves are smaller and have a milder taste.Tatsoi is usually utilized in fast stir-fries, as its candy, earthy taste goes nicely with garlic, ginger, and savory condiments like soy sauce.

Arugula

Look: Small and elongated inexperienced leaves with wavy edges 
Texture: Delicate however chewy 
Taste: Bitter with a peppery kick
Different Names: Rocket, roquette, Italian cress 

Arugula is herbaceous, peppery, and packs a strong punch. In response to  The Huge E-book of Greens by Jenn Louis arugula was thought-about an aphrodisiac in historic Rome, and in the course of the Center Ages, monasteries have been forbidden from rising the vegetable. Whereas the inexperienced is usually present in spring combine and is nice in a salad, arugula can be utilized quite a few methods. The vegetable is usually included into Italian pastas and beef carpaccio and potato salads in jap Europe, and can be utilized alongside (or rather than) spinach in dishes akin to  spanakopita or borani-yeh esfenaj, a Persian spinach and yogurt dip. In northern India, arugula seeds are pressed to make taramira oil, which is utilized in pickling. Though arugula is comparatively delicate, its daring taste permits it to shine when it’s cooked, too. Arugula’s spicy taste additionally works nicely in sauces and spreads.

Watercress

Look: Stemmy with small, rounded inexperienced leaves 
Texture: Delicate, nearly herb-like 
Taste: Spicy, mustardy, peppery 
Different Names: Cress 

Symons calls watercress “arugula amplified.” Watercress shares the same taste to the opposite mustards within the household, together with wasabi and mustard greens. Whereas not as spicy as wasabi greens, watercress has a kick that helps it punch up salads and dips. Symons recommends trimming the lengthy stems in the event you plan on utilizing the inexperienced in a salad, in any other case you might find yourself with what she describes as “watercress dental floss.” She additionally incessantly tosses it right into a blender (stems and all) and combines it with crème fraîche, olive oil, and chives to make a dip or unfold for sandwiches or—thinned with a bit water—a dressing for salads.

Kale

Look: Massive ruffled, rounded, or curly leaves; deep inexperienced, blue inexperienced, or purple (relying on the range) with seen veining and a thick stem 
Texture: Agency, fibrous 
Taste: Ranges from deep, nutty, and earthy to bitter, relying on the range

Kale’s powerful leaves will be roasted, air-fried, juiced, sautéed, or stewed, making it a flexible ingredient. Within the U.S., you’re more likely to discover curly kale and Lacinato kale, a flat-leaf selection with extra earthiness and fewer bitterness than curly kale. Whereas each are scrumptious uncooked or cooked, curly kale is particularly nice when massaged with olive oil for salads or become kale chips. 

Symons like to show curly kale into kale chips, because the vegetable’s ruffled edges act as nooks and crannies for spices and seasonings. Lacinato kale will be thinly sliced and utilized in salads, however its giant, thick leaves make it notably good for together with in soups and stews, as its hardiness helps it stand as much as lengthy cooking occasions with out disintegrating fully. It’s what Symons reaches for when making ribollita, Portuguese caldo verde, or a kale Caesar salad. Kale’s strong nature makes it one of many few greens that may stand up to being dressed as much as a day prematurely with out dropping a lot of its integrity. Kale’s powerful exterior additionally makes it a go-to in heat fall or winter salads (when it’s season) during which it’s paired with hearty greens akin to roasted squash and carmelized mushrooms.

Spinach

Look: Broad, oval leaves with pointed ideas in darkish inexperienced, bunches kind a medium-size rosette form 
Texture: Gentle and tender 
Taste: Candy, gentle, and grassy

Spinach will be served uncooked or cooked, and its mildness permits it to simply meld into myriad dishes: tacky lasagna, warming chickpea masala, and even inexperienced smoothies. “I type of consider spinach because the gateway inexperienced,” Symons says, explaining that it’s normally the primary inexperienced individuals attain for once they begin increasing from iceberg or romaine lettuces. “It is not overwhelming or offensive, and does not have a particularly robust taste as in comparison with a few of these different greens.” Spinach is utilized in many cuisines around the globe: In India, it’s used to make palak paneer, and in Korea, it’s blanched and marinated in doenjang, fish sauce, rice vinegar, and spices for banchan. Japanese ohitashi is ready equally. 

As a result of common spinach is harvested when absolutely mature, it’s greatest to achieve for child spinach when making salads, because it’s picked when youthful, with leaves that are typically sweeter, milder, and extra tender. Spinach’s one fault may simply be that it shrinks enormously when cooked, although that is simply solved by selecting frozen spinach in the event you want a big quantity for a recipe.

Mache

Look: Small inexperienced, rounded leaves on skinny stems; grows in a tiny bunch 
Texture: Delicate, velvety, just like butter lettuce 
Taste: Barely candy with a little bit of nuttiness
Different names: Lamb’s lettuce, corn salad

Mache is usually described as a smaller, extra delicate model of butter lettuce. It has an nearly candy, nutty taste, which is why Symons sometimes solely eats it uncooked. (It may well, nevertheless, be sautéed or steamed.) As a result of the leaves are fragile, Symons recommends utilizing a light-weight French dressing—like a lemon or champagne French dressing—that permits the inexperienced’s pure taste to shine. Mache additionally pairs nicely with the bitter chicories like endive for a extra advanced salad.

The best way to Store for Greens

Selecting domestically grown greens is your greatest guess, as they are typically brisker. Most lettuce and greens bought in American grocery shops are grown in California and Arizona, however native varieties can simply be discovered at most farmers markets. Whereas bagged and boxed mixes are handy, making your individual mix will end in essentially the most flavorful salad. When selecting your greens, you’ll need to keep away from wilted, discolored greens and be sure that the leaf construction continues to be intact, Frymark says.

The best way to Retailer Lettuce

In response to the USDA, lettuces and different salad greens ought to be refrigerated between 32° and 41°F (0° to five°C), and stored farthest from the door in order that they aren’t topic to fluctuating temperatures. Frymark recommends loosely packing greens in a plastic bag, as greens want a damp atmosphere to keep up their freshness. Because the vegetation sit within the bag, they may proceed to launch moisture. “The plant itself is creating the humidity as a result of it is nonetheless alive,” Frymark says. “Even after you’ve got lower it, it is nonetheless transpiring and giving off water vapor, so that you need that to be captured in one thing.” 

The smaller the container, the upper the humidity will likely be, sogreens ought to be sealed in a bathtub or plastic bag that offers the greens some wiggle room, however doesn’t have quite a lot of additional area. (Should you’ve completed half a field of greens, she recommends transferring the remaining half to a gallon-size zip-top bag.) In each circumstances, the container ought to be absolutely sealed. To forestall extra condensation, you may as well add a layer of paper towel to the bag. Whereas most triple washed, packaged varieties don’t should be washed once more at dwelling, any lettuce or inexperienced you do wash ought to be totally spun and dried earlier than refrigerating.